Wildcat Marching Band

Join the 2024 WMB Interest Group on Facebook

• Sunday, August 18: Drumline, Colorguard, and WMB Council arrive
• Tuesday, August 20: Winds and Front Ensemble arrive
• Band camp is required for all WMB members as we learn a very high percentage of material during this time
• A detailed daily schedule will be available later this summer
• We work around “Wildcat Days” events for first-year students

• Monday, August 26: First regular rehearsal after band camp
• Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 6:15–8:15 p.m.
  • Don't forget to register for MUSI 454
  • If you don't pre-register, at least make sure you leave rehearsal time free in your schedule
• Saturdays before football games
• Regular rehearsals end when the football season ends. If we are involved in playoffs, brush-up rehearsals may be scheduled during regular rehearsal time.

• 5 home football games
• 2–3 exhibitions
• 2 parades
• Various game-day pep rallies
• 1 men’s hockey game (on the ice)
• 1–2 other on-campus events

1. Fill out the Participation Form - Due July 13
   • Most important thing to do to join!
   • This allows us to reserve your housing and meals for band camp and make sure will have everything you need.
2. Order Supplies - Due July 26
   • Check for required vs. optional items
3. Register for MUSI 454
   • May be taken for 0 or 1 credit: your choice. No difference in expectations.
   • If you forgot or didn't know to register it can still be added during the first few weeks of classes.
4. Prepare for the season! Get some exercise and keep your playing or spinning chops in shape. Music, recordings, and drill will be posted in our WMB Downloads folder as they are completed. Fill out the Participation Form to get the link.
5. Drumline placement auditions are held over the summer in person (by video if necessary). Please see the Drumline Auditions page for more information. This is so you can prepare your parts on the appropriate instrument prior to band camp.
6. Colorguard Spin Days are an optional but recommended chance for colorguard members to get a head start on work for the season and for the staff to evaluate skills and write work accordingly.

Information for ALL members to read! Not sure where to go, what to do, and when on your first day of band camp? Here's your guide:

• DRUMLINE BATTERY, COLORGUARD, AND WMB COUNCIL - Sunday
• WOODWIND, BRASS, AND FRONT ENSEMBLE - Tuesday

9 a.m. – Noon - Check-in. During this window you should first report to the Paul Creative Arts Center lobby (on Academic Way) to get your housing packet, including your room key or combo. You will then report to your dorm to move in. Directions and other information are available on the housing website. Once you get checked in, you're officially in your room for the year and can move in your stuff. If those helping you move in are sticking around, they can help you set up your room, even when you're off with us (if you want them to). You can continue unpacking and getting settled during any free time throughout camp.

If you did not get your ID at June orientation or at your dorm, you can stop by the Dining/ID office in the MUB during one of the lunches in the dining hall during the week. They will be closed on Sunday. You will need it to get into your dorm so you may need help getting in on Sunday if you don't have it yet.

Noon – 1 p.m. - Lunch. This will be on your own for the first day. We'll cover many of your meals (other than breakfast) starting with dinner on Sunday and continuing until meal plans start (see Band Camp Schedule for exceptions). Holloway Commons (dining hall) will be open for $13.90 per person, or you can check out one of the restaurants downtown.

1 p.m. - First meeting. The three early groups will meet for the first time in the Paul Creative Arts Center (PCAC). We'll put up signs to direct you to the appropriate rooms. Drumline will start in M135, Colorguard will start in M226, and the WMB Council will start in M128. You'll be with us for the rest of the day, so you should come prepared with anything you need for rehearsal. Drumline and colorguard equipment will be distributed at this time. Council members should bring their instruments.

5:15 p.m. - Dinner. Dinner will be at Holloway Commons. You'll travel as a section to ensure everyone finds their way there.

8:30 p.m. - End of rehearsal. There are no social activities scheduled for the first night of camp, since just about everyone wants to get back to their room to unpack some more. Upperclassmen will help you find your way back to your dorm if you need it. You'll be paired up with a "band buddy" on Tuesday (pairings will be posted on the Teams page over the summer).

Official band camp check-in will be on Tuesday, but we'll take care of some of that on Sunday. This is especially true for colorguard, who will want gloves! Jump past the Winds section for more information about check-in.

Breakfast. On your own each day. You may pay at the door if you want to go to Holloway Commons.

8 – 11 a.m. - Check-in and registration. During this window you should first report to Paul Creative Arts Center room M226 ("the Band Room"). At this point, you'll check in with us, get your housing packet, including room key or combo, get your nametag and the supplies you ordered, turn in your health form (if you didn't submit it already), and sign out an instrument, if necessary. You don't need to bring anything at this point, but you may bring along your instrument to leave in the band room if you'd like. THEN you will report to your dorm to move in. Directions and other information are available on the housing website. Once you get checked in, you're officially in your room for the year and can move in your stuff. If those helping you move in are sticking around, they can help you set up your room, even when you're off with us (if you want them to). You can continue unpacking and getting settled during any free time throughout camp.

If you did not get your ID at June orientation or at your dorm, this morning would be a good time to take care of that since you will need it to get into your dorm. Head over to the Dining/ID office in the Memorial Union Building. They are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

8 – 11 a.m. - Check-in and registration. During this window you should first report to Paul Creative Arts Center room M226 ("the Band Room"). At this point, you'll check in with us, get your housing packet, including room key or combo, get your nametag and the supplies you ordered, turn in your health form (if you didn't submit it already), and sign out an instrument, if necessary. You don't need to bring anything at this point, but you may bring along your instrument to leave in the band room if you'd like. THEN you will report to your dorm to move in if you didn't on Sunday.

Noon - 1:30 PM - Lunch. This will be on your own for the first day (drumline, colorguard, and WMB council will be covered). We'll cover many of your meals starting with dinner on Tuesday and continuing until your meal plans start (see Band Camp Schedule for exceptions). Holloway Commons (dining hall) will be open for $13.90 per person, or you can check out one of the restaurants downtown.

1:30 PM - First meeting. This is the first time we'll be all together as a band, and the official start of the season! The meeting will be in Johnson Theatre in the PCAC. You can drop instruments and equipment in room M226 (the band room) before the meeting. After this point, all of your questions should be answered, as the band tends to travel in a pack during band camp. We'll be together for the rest of the day, so you should come prepared with your instrument/equipment and anything you need for marching (sneakers!). We'll be inside in the afternoon and outside after dinner.

8:30 PM - End of rehearsal. There are no social activities scheduled for the first night of camp, since just about everyone wants to get back to their rooms to unpack some more. However, your "band buddy" or someone they designate will help you find your way back to your dorm. Usually a few upperclassmen will take a group of new students back to their dorms in a group. You'll get familiar with the trip pretty quickly and will probably need help only that first night.

After Tuesday, there will be social activities each night after rehearsal ends. While these are not required, almost everyone chooses to stick around. They don't take too long (again, people want to unpack, set up their rooms, and relax) and are a great way to get to know your band-mates. Your section earns points for your participation, too, for the week-long section competition.

We usually schedule an hour and a half for meals, which is more time than you'll need to eat. If you need to get something from your dorm room or run an errand downtown, that's a good time to do so.

If you still have questions, feel free to contact Prof. Speed. See you at band camp!

Dates: August 18 or 20 – August 25, 2024

Check-In:
WMB Council, Drumline, Colorguard: August 18, 9 a.m.– noon at PCAC lobby. You must check in with us first and then move into your dorm.
Winds and Front Ensemble: August 20, 8 – 11 a.m. in PCAC M226.
You must check in with us first and then move into your dorm.
Band Camp Registration: August 20, 8 – 11 a.m. in PCAC M226. Combined with housing check-in but Sunday arrivals need to do band camp registration during this time as well. 

A tentative schedule is included at the end. A more accurate and detailed schedule will be available in August once we get our assigned field times. This is based on past years' schedules. 

Winds: part auditions should be held over the summer, but any remaining auditions (for limited parts) will be held on the first day. Your section leader will tell you what to prepare. Generally, players with stronger high ranges will be placed on first parts (especially for brass instruments). Mellophones, baritones, sousaphones, and requested instruments will be signed out at registration. You do not need to bring music with you. We are paperless so please bring a portable charger for your phone.

Battery Percussionists: placement auditions will be held in August. Find out more and register here. On the first day of camp, you will be assigned a drum and carrier or a pair of cymbals for the season. Each member will pay a fee that will cover your first pair of sticks, mallets, or cymbal gloves (average cost). Replacements will be at your own expense, so take care of them. You do not need to bring music. New copies will be handed out. Please provide a 3-ring binder with sheet protectors to hold your music. We will also be paperless in the stands and outdoor rehearsals so please bring a portable charger for your phone.

Front Ensemble Percussionists: please touch base with us as soon as possible. Our front ensemble is unique in that it is nearly 100% electronic. Music and the number of stations are customized to our exact number of players each year. We do not currently have auditions but may request some information or a short video from you if we don't already know you. Low stress. We just want to write appropriate music for your strengths. Each member will pay a fee to cover mallets. Replacements will be at your own expense, so please take care of them. You do not need to bring music. New copies will be handed out. Please provide a 3-ring binder with sheet protectors to hold your music.

Colorguard Members: while there are no auditions for colorguard, we do hold two Spin Days. These are a chance for you to spend a few hours spinning with us, getting a head start on some of our techniques and work for the year, and for the staff to evaluate your skills so they can write work tailored to this year's line. Find out more and register here. We will assign you equipment and an equipment bag for the season so you don't need to own or bring your own. If you have extra gloves you want to have on hand, go ahead and bring those if you'd like. 

Lunch and dinner will be provided by the band for most meals, starting with dinner on your first day (most students elect to have lunch with their families on the first day, so this will be on your own).  There will be one section dinner this year that you will be responsible for (pasta party at someone’s apartment, pizza and subs, etc.)
Please note that breakfast will not be provided by the band. This is because many students choose to sleep longer and eat on their own rather than make the trip to the dining hall. Eat breakfast each day. If you do not order bagel breakfasts from Kappa Kappa Psi, you may get breakfast at the dining hall, grab a quick breakfast downtown, or stock breakfast items for the week to eat in your dorm room. 

Parking rules are in full effect during band camp. If you will have a car on campus during the school year, you may park in your assigned lot during the week. If you will not have a car on campus for the school year, it is not recommended that you bring one to band camp. If, for some reason, you do need your car for band camp, you may purchase daily visitor’s permits from the visitor’s center in A lot. See the UNH Parking webpage for more info. Students are not authorized to drive to the field (you may park in A-Lot if you have an appropriate permit). UNH is a walking campus, so you shouldn’t need a car to get around.

An updated calendar and band camp schedule will be available on your arrival day. The band camp schedule will have a detailed breakdown of what we will be doing each day. Please note the football playoff dates. These are required, but we won’t know for sure whether or not the band will be attending these games until the week before each game. For most playoff games, we will attend only if the game is at UNH or within reasonable driving distance. If we make it to the NCAA division I-FCS finals in Texas, the band will attend that game. All of this will be discussed in more detail throughout the season, but please plan accordingly.

Uniforms will be fitted and checked out during band camp. You will be responsible for keeping and maintaining all parts of your uniform throughout the season. More information about this will be in the WMB handbook.

Photos will be taken by the WMB Media Team again this year. We will have a photo shoot on a date to be announced. Full-band photos, section photos, and individual photos will be taken and available online.

Students with class conflicts with our regular rehearsals should look into finding a different section of the conflicting course. If another section exists but is closed, we may be able to get you into it anyway. If you cannot avoid the conflict and it is a required course for your major, then you will need to fill out a simple form with the band stating that you have this conflict, so that we know about it. More information will be given out at band camp. CONFLICTS ARE STRONGLY DISCOURAGED AS IT AFFECTS OUR PERFORMANCE LEVEL AS AN ENSEMBLE.

If you have not registered for the marching band course yet, you must do so by the end of the first week of classes. This can be done through Webcat. You may take it for either 0 or 1 credit (no difference in expectations). MUSI 454.

For extenuating circumstances that will require you to miss a rehearsal or performance, an excused absence form is available on the website. We will discuss what qualifies as an excused or unexcused absence when we go over the handbook during band camp. Please do not schedule anything that conflicts with WMB activities. Also note that work does not constitute an excused absence, so keep this in mind when developing a schedule with your employer.

The following is a list of items you should bring. Because you are moving in for the semester, some are items you will need for band camp, and some are items you will need at other points during the season.

• All of your belongings for the semester
• Instrument in good working condition with all necessary supplies (reeds, oil, etc.), if applicable.
• Comfortable clothing – check the weather
• Sneakers or other appropriate marching footwear (no slip-ons, sandals, or open-toed shoes)
  Walking shoes or cross-trainers are recommended.
• Athletic socks (wicking, Coolmax, Ultramax, etc.)
• WATER BOTTLE – the bigger the better. Think jug.
• Hat or visor
• Sunglasses
• Sunblock (sweatproof with high SPF)
• Insect repellent
• Light jacket
• Pencil
• Smartphone with UDB Pro App and FlipFolder App (instrumentalists) installed
• Portable phone charger
• Any of the following that you already own (ordered items should be here at registration):
  • Black matte-finish MARCHING shoes (winds and percussion)
  • Black long-wrist marching band gloves (winds)
  • Lyre (winds and drumline - flute, trombone, sousaphone not necessaary)
  • Anything belonging to the school that you did not turn in last year (phone clip, e.g.)
  • Colorguard jacket, colorguard gloves, leotard, Style Plus Balance shoes (guard)
  • Calf-length black socks (winds and percussion) or tights (guard)
  • Official WMB ballcap or visor (replacements are available on the order form)
• Khakis – part of the campus performance and travel uniform. Khaki shorts are sometimes okay, too. No cargo pants or ripped/stained pants.
• Black athletic shorts or pants – may be preferred for game-day rehearsal uniform.
• Calf-length black leggings (guard) - not see-through
• Plain black dance/yoga pants (guard)
• Granola bars, trail mix, or high-protein snacks to have on hand for breaks.